About Our Department

The Department of Mathematics at UBC is one of the very strongest
mathematics departments in Canada. Our international reputation for
excellence is not only well-established, but also rising during this exciting expansion period of our
research and training programs.

We currently have approximately 60 full-time faculty,
and 100 graduate students and 30 postdoctoral fellows, with our training programs still growing .
Postdocs, Visitors, graduate and undergraduate students from all around the world choose to work and study in Mathematics at UBC.

Since 2000, we have undergone a remarkable period of renewal with the recruitment of more than twenty-five new faculty. These outstanding researchers and teachers
have strengthened the department's stature as a worldwide leader in mathematics. Faculty expansion has been realized through exciting new opportunities such as Canada Research Chairs, University Faculty Awards and positions funded by Double The Opportunity for computer science and electrical engineering.

CONNECTIONS

The Department enjoys strong connections with other departments and institutes at UBC. It plays a major role in the
cross-disciplinary Institute for Applied Mathematics ( IAM ), with members from across Science, Applied Science and other UBC faculties. We have jointly appointed faculty in Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Earth and Ocean Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, and Zoology. Each week, the department, the IAM and the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) host a large number of colloquia and specialized seminars, featuring talks by leaders in pure and applied mathematics from UBC
and around the world.

We offer between 15 and 20 graduate courses per term ranging from first-year core courses to advanced topics courses
on the frontiers of mathematical research. Recently, we have augmented our summer course offerings,
with advanced graduate level topics courses (in conjunction with special programs sponsored by PIMS and MSRI)
that attract students and visitors from many universities.

We offer graduate programs leading to MSc and PhD degrees with specialization in any of the many areas of interest to research faculty.
The IAM coordinates graduate programs in applied math, and students following this program can choose thesis supervisors in Math or other departments. With very few exceptions our
grad students are fully supported by combinations of fellowships, research assistantships and
teaching assistantships.
Our graduates have won many distinguished awards and have obtained high quality jobs in universities and industry.

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

We offer a very large number of undergraduate courses ranging from introductory calculus through many varieties of differential equations, linear and abstract algebra, pure and applied analysis, geometry, topology, number theory, discrete mathematics, probability and many areas of applied mathematics. Through constantly innovating in our curriculum we
serve the needs of math students and those in other departments.

For undergraduates concentrating in mathematics, we provide honours and majors in math as well as combined honours and major in math and
another subject, for example, economics or computer science. The Math Club provides study and social opportunities for undergraduates in Math and related fields.

For our Honours students, we have a full menu of challenging courses,
and other activities such as weekly training sessions for the challenging Putnam Exam (known as "Pizza and Putnam");
our Putnam team regularly finishes in the top twenty within North America and often within the top ten.

We provide a number of summer research opportunities for talented undergraduates, many supported through
the NSERC USRA program. UBC Math Department alumni choose from a wide variety of opportunities including positions in both the public and private
sectors, graduate study and teaching.

OUTREACH

Finally, we are actively involved in many outreach activities, promoting mathematics in elementary and secondary schools as well as to the
general public. For instance, we offer problem-solving workshops in the schools, and we coordinate the Euclid exam for secondary school students
and participate in the BC Challenge Calculus Exams. We are also developing programs to support teachers at the elementary and secondary levels.

Most recently, we have greatly expanded our efforts in cooperation with PIMS and the Faculty of Science in supporting Aboriginal Education.
We are cooperating with local elementary and secondary schools to provide year round programs to support both students and teachers, with the goal of increasing success in Mathematics at all levels.